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Sumit SinghalSumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination.

Student Salon in London, UK by Feix&Merlin

The LSE’s student salon is currently an unsuccessful space: Its walls are cluttered with unsightly alarm sounders, fire extinguishers and cable trunking, a big vending maching in front of the window blocks views in and out of the space and the big recycling bins are in everybody’s way. The lighting is mismatched and inappropriate for the type of use and the furniture is neither inviting nor comfortable. The space is quite simply not very attractive.

Software used: Vectorworks for the cad drawing package. Hand sketches, images and drawings were collated in InnDesign for presentations.

THE STUDENT SALON THEN

We propose to overclad the existing walls and columns as well as the lower sections of the glazed elevations with a simple triangulated timber structure. Not only does that allow us to hide away the bulky bins, resolve the space and storage issues and create a setting for the vending machine, it also creates a coherent space. The facets envelope the space, hide cable runs and a multitude of confusing wall profiles, corners and recesses.

Interior View

At the same time we carve out furniture, high tables along the window bays, cut out chairs and stools as well as a bench along the rear wall. Underneath the windows the panelling doubles up as radiator cover. A dropped mirrored ceiling panel provides feature lighting whilst smaller surface mounted desk lights offer more intimate task lighting. Each necessary room accessory becomes a celebrated feature: the phone, the alarm sounder and fire extinguishers sit in their own little ornately framed recesses within the new wall.

Interior View

The alcove for the vending machine is clad in patterned back-lit laser cut panels and the wall mounted water fountain sits within the mirror panelled recess of the rear door, the surface of which has become the notice board. In the centre of the room a high gloss finished faceted diamond shape houses pull-out furniture and transforms into an informal lounge area. We envisage the colour scheme to be relatively dark, mid to dark grey for the panelling, with highlights in the recesses and the ornate frames. The mirror ceiling panels and walls will add a dramatic not to the lighting in the space.